'Hunting Ban' cards gimmick condemned

PRO and anti-hunt politicians united to condemn a pre-Christmas campaign by the Countryside Alliance depicting MPs who have voted for a hunting ban as if they were members of Saddam Hussein's tyrannical regime.

PRO and anti-hunt politicians united to condemn a pre-Christmas campaign by the Countryside Alliance depicting MPs who have voted for a hunting ban as if they were members of Saddam Hussein's tyrannical regime.

The Alliance issued its own pack of cards as a parody of the Iraqi cards put out by the American military following the overthrow of Saddam earlier this year.

Welsh Labour MP Nick Ainger, who appears as the seven of hearts in the Countryside Alliance's pack, said, "Many people, including the relatives of hundreds of thousands of people murdered by Saddam and his lieutenants, will find this gimmick grossly offensive.

"It is an example of the way in which the Countryside Alliance has gone completely over the top and lost a sense of proportion.

"I have made no secret of my stance against hunting ever since I was first elected in 1992. I disagree strongly with the Countryside Alliance, but I support their right to express their view.

"I've debated with their chief executive Simon Hart in public and I am shocked that they have so little respect for their opponents' right to put their point of view forward.

"I am afraid this is typical of the Countryside Alliance.

"They also claim that 59% of people support the right to hunt, which in my view is a complete distortion of the market research data available on the matter."

Labour MP Gordon Prentice, who represents the Lancashire seat of Pendle, is the ace of spades, the card that signifies Saddam Hussein in the American pack. Other anti-hunting MPs included in the pack are Ann Widdecombe, Tony Banks and Glenda Jackson.

Tory AM Glyn Davies, who believes hunting should remain legal, said he believed the stunt would damage the pro-hunting cause.

He said, "To compare 54 MPs who favour a ban on hunting with 54 Iraqi war criminals is not the way to win the hearts and minds of the British people.

"I profoundly disagree with those who want to ban hunting with dogs, but I do not think it is right to depict them in the same way as the war criminals who were led by Saddam Hussein.

"The British people are fair-minded and after hearing the arguments for and against a ban on hunting have decided that they wish to allow hunting with dogs to continue.

"The Prime Minister has already realised that to pursue a hunting ban could lose him the next election.

"The last thing those of us who support the continuation of hunting should do is behave unreasonably and cede the high ground to the illiberal abolitionists who have been losing the argument over recent months."

But the Countryside Alliance defended the campaign, saying it was meant to be taken lightheartedly.

A spokesman said, "We came up with this campaign as a bit of a gimmick, as much as anything else.

"Like most people, our supporters find it difficult to name more than about half a dozen MPs, so we thought doing something like this might actually give them a higher profile.

"It's another way of getting our message across and shouldn't be taken too seriously."

Friction ahead for Boxing Day meets

FOXHUNTERS and saboteurs are expected to clash next week as thousands across Britain take part in the traditional Boxing Day meets.

In Wales, 25 hunts have given notice that they intend to go out.

Those who oppose hunting were disappointed that no mention of legislation to ban it appeared in last month's Queen's Speech.

Instead, Commons Leader Peter Hain told Labour MPs the Hunting Bill would be reintroduced in the New Year - later confirmed by Tony Blair.

Both pro and anti hunting lobbies claim to have public support, with opinion poll findings depending on the precise nature of the questions asked. For many Labour supporters, the pledge at successive general elections to ban hunting is an acid test of the party's willingness or otherwise to push through radical measures against powerful vested interests.